


Wake Me Up

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Stingue [2]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Broken, Character Death, Death, Heavy Angst, Loss of Control, M/M, Nightmares, Possession, Shadiws
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-03 02:32:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16317476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: It's a scene Rogue has seen a hundred times, a nightmare that has haunted him since he learnt what his shadows are capable of. Terrifying. Heart-breaking, but a nightmare all the same. Right?





	Wake Me Up

_It’s a nightmare._

   It was just a nightmare, he knew that. A scene he had seen a hundred times since the events of the Grand Magic Games, forced by his own mind to watch as his nakama, his family…his lover died a thousand different ways. The only common factor in each nightmare as that it had always been his fault, whether he was too late, too slow, too weak, or worse where he had lost control of his shadows and been forced to watch as his own magic ran rampant and destroyed those he loved most. It never seemed to matter how close Sting was, his light could be right by his side, but the darkness was always stronger, always overwhelming and he would fall.

    However, the knowledge that it wasn’t real, that it was nothing more than a nightmare didn’t seem to make it less horrifying, less tangible and he could feel his stomach beginning to churn as the coppery tang of blood overwhelmed his sensitive nose. _It’s a nightmare, it’s not real._ It wasn’t working, tears were slipping down his cheeks as he stared down at Yukino who was sprawled a small distance away, bloodied, her face set in a mask of terror and there was a hint of accusation in the wide, brown eyes that met his gaze. _I did this…_ This had been one of the worst dreams, where the darkness had swept over him, and it had been his own hands that had torn his guildmates apart, his lips drawn back in a vicious snarl, his hands now covered in their blood. _It’s just a nightmare…_

    If he raised his head or turned slightly, he would see the others - Orga sprawled in front of Rufus, his final act had been to try and protect the Memory-make mage, but it had been too little, too late and the smaller mage had fallen seconds later unable to hold back the shadows. Beyond them lay Minerva, the smile she had regained since rejoining them lost, she had died screaming, begging him to stop and remember who they were. He had heard the words, felt them washing over him, but he had been unable to stop the shadows from devouring her alive. _I killed her…_ Knowing that it was a nightmare didn’t let him escape that fact - the fact that it had been his own hands that had done this. _I did this…_

Shaking his head, he backed up a couple of steps, squeezing his eyes shut in the hopes of erasing the image. _Sting, please help me wake up from this._ Usually, the other Dragon-slayer would’ve already woken him up, they slept curled so closely that is was practically for them to miss when the other was restless or in distress. Something that worried Rogue more than he cared to admit, as he knew that he woke the blond far too often, although Sting had always reassured him that it wasn’t a problem. _Please…_ Today all he wanted was to be woken up, to feel his mate’s arms around him, the warm voice whispering in his ear and reassuring him that it was nothing more than a nightmare, the light of his smile driving the shadows back down inside. _Sting…_

    His eyes flew open once more, but nothing had changed - he was still there in that blood-soaked landscape, and a choked sob slipped free. _No, it’s just a nightmare. Sting where are you?_   Unable to bear the sight anymore he whirled, intending to flee, planning to hide himself away from the shadows until he was able to escape this nightmare, but he had barely taken half a step when he felt his foot catch on something, and he stumbled, falling down to his hands and knees with a startled cry. _What the…?_ His thoughts skidded to a halt as he found himself staring at Frosch and Lector, lying beside each other paw in paw, looking as though they had been trying to flee the destruction. Attempting to flee from him…

“Frosch…”  Something in his chest shattered at the sight of his feline partner, nausea welling as he took in the deep wounds that had stolen his partner’s life and with a soft whimper he stretched out a shaking hand, ghosting it over the Exceed’s body. _How could I do this? Even in a dream…_ The pain was overwhelming, the tears falling heavier now as he forced himself to sit up as he fought to hold back the sobs threatening to overwhelm him. He had experienced this pain so many times, and yet it never got easier to bear, and he dug his fingers into his knees, unable to tear his gaze away from his partner. _“_ Frosch…” _How could I…?_

    He had no idea how long he had sat the grieving, waiting to wake up. Waiting for this pain to disappear, tears slipping down his cheeks as he realised that even after all this time he couldn’t drive the shadows away by himself. _Sting…_

“Ro…gue.” For a wild moment, he thought that his wish had come true, that he was about to wake up as that much-beloved voice reached his ears and he blinked, waiting for the scene to vanish and be replaced by worried, blue eyes. But the scene remained, but now there was the faintest sound of movement behind him, and his blood turned to ice as he felt fingers brushing weakly against his ankle. _No._ “Ro…gue.” This time he heard the pain in the whisper and his breath caught in his throat. _No._ However, he could never deny that voice, so despite the horror and fear flooding through him, he forced himself to move, turning slowly still on his knees, as though going slower would make it less painful…

“Sting…” He had known, known if from the moment that he had heard the pain in his mate’s voice what he was going to find, but it hadn’t helped. It hadn’t prepared him. _It’s just a nightmare…_ It was an empty reassurance as he realised what he had fallen over only moments before, dark eyes wide with horror as he took in the blond’s bloodied form…the other’s had been bad enough, but a single glance was enough to tell him that the other Dragon-slayer had borne the brunt of his darkness, his body in tatters and yet the blue eyes that met his gaze were filled with the same love as always… _Don’t look at me like that…_

“Rog…ue…”

“Sting,” he whispered, shaking off his paralysis and forcing himself to move forward. Even if it was just a dream, he couldn’t ignore his mate, couldn’t hide from what he had done to him with his own two hands. It was worse the closer he got. His shadows had torn his mate apart, and the ice crawled towards his heart as he realised that there was no way Sting could survive those wounds, and his hand trembled wildly as he reached out to grasp Sting’s, squeezing it tenderly as blue eyes fluttered for a moment before refocusing on him. “I’m so sorry…”

“Not…your,” Sting broke off, gasping for breath as blood bubbled in the corner of his mouth, and Rogue wanted to scream. _I did this…I did this…_ All he could do was sit and cling to Sting’s hand, guilt overwhelming him as he watched the blond struggling to catch his breath, wishing that he could wake up…or at least switch places with his mate. Eventually Sting settled, breathing shallowly and what little colour had remained in his face long gone, his eyes barely more than slits even as he focused on Rogue once more a hint of desperation seeping into his expression. “Not…yo..ur..” More blood bubbled up, and Rogue fought the urge to throw up even as he reached out to wipe it away. _I did this…_ It was a fight not to flinch back when Sting’s hand came up to grasp his, fingers curling around his. “Fault…”

“I did this,” Rogue shook his head, unable to accept the forgiveness being offered. Maybe when he was awake with the real Sting wrapped around him, he would be able to let the words in, but not now - not with his mate’s blood staining his skin, his fading breaths deafening in the silence. “Even if it’s a nightmare, I did this.” _I could do this…_

“Rogue…” Sting’s expression had morphed to one of horrified pity, and the Shadow Dragon-slayer froze at the strange note that had seeped into his mate’s voice. _Why? Why are you looking at me like that?_ The fingers curled around his tightened for a moment, and he glanced at them for a moment, before forcing himself to meet Sting’s gaze once more, stunned to see tears trickling down his cheeks. _What is going on?_ This was different from any nightmare he’d ever had before, and something was tickling at the edge of his thoughts, but he couldn’t bring himself to face it. _It’s a nightmare. It’s just a nightmare._ “It’s… not..a…night…mare…” Four simple words, as broken and weak as they were, had never terrified Rogue so much.

“What…?”

    But those words had drained his mate of the last of his strength, blue eyes slipping closed and the world darkened around him as he realised that he could no longer hear Sting’s laboured breathing. That the other’s chest was no longer rising and falling like it was meant to be. _No._ Conscious thought fled him and he wrenched his hands free of Sting’s, flinging himself forwards with an anguished howl and falling against the too still chest. _No…No…No…_ His hands curled into fists, and he beat them weakly against the blond’s chest, wordless cries falling from his lips even as he silently pleaded with his mate to come back, to open his eyes even one more time. _Sting…please…please…_

The silence was his only reply, and he dissolved into heaving sobs, burying his face against Sting, uncaring of the fact that his mate’s blood was being smeared across his face. _No…No…_ His fingers clutched desperately at the tattered remnants of Sting’s vest. _Wake up…wake up…wake up…_ This was too much. It hurt too much. All he wanted to do was wake up…to see those blue eyes full of life once more, to his guildmates laughing and joking and Frosch at his side. _Please let me wake up…_ He pleaded, feeling the shadows swirling around him once more, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he pressed closer against Sting.

_Please…._

**

    Rogue had laid there for hours, Sting’s body growing cold beneath him, waiting for the moment that this nightmare would release him. But that moment never came. The daylight had faded away to night-time, but still, he couldn’t move, because moving would mean acknowledging the truth that was pressing in on the edge of his consciousness. Sting’s final words a constant whisper in the back of his mind, but he wouldn’t, couldn’t let them in. _It’s a nightmare. I just need to wake up, and everything will be fine._ He would train harder than ever, he would make sure that he was always by Sting’s side, he wouldn’t give the shadows the chance to win. _It’s not too late…_

    Slowly, but with devastating steadiness, the sky above him began to lighten once more, and with the approach of dawn his denial shattered. His eyes were utterly devoid of tears as he slowly sat up, unable to bring himself to release his mate completely as he glanced around numbly. The scene was unchanged, his guildmates scattered around him where they had fallen, and yet it was worse this time because he could no longer deny the truth and as his eyes landed on Frosch once more he screamed, the shadows swooping down and devouring him entirely as reality hit him.

_It’s not a nightmare…_


End file.
